Chargers D needs better starts

• In both AFC West games, the Chargers defense stunk up the first half. They looked slow against Raiders playmakers and misread Oakland's zone-read plays. Against the Broncos on Sunday, the first-half miscues ran the gamut: busted coverages, missed tackles, lazy pursuit, and a failure to get off downfield blocks. Someone at Chargers Park needs to figure out why the defense has fogged up first halves against two rivals.

• In the second half, the Chargers better coordinated their rush and pass coverage. Two examples: 1) they won on third down when John Pagano sent both safeties, Eric Weddle and Marcus Gilchrist, while outside linebackers Tourek Williams and Thomas Kaiser dropped into coverage. 2) Kaiser dropping into coverage on a four-man rush seemed to force Peyton Manning to hold the ball, and that's when Williams hit him from behind. The rookie's sack, 3.4 seconds after the snap, created a turnover that a led to a Chargers TD.

Chargers at Dolphins, 11/17/13

• Lacking a sun dial, I didn't time how long Broncos receivers sustained their blocks against Chargers defensive backs.

• Donald Butler ran fast for most of the game. He looked recovered from the groin injury that has slowed him for most of the season.

• All five times the Chargers sent six rushers, Manning ate their lunch. Each time, he threw a quick pass to an open receiver. The damage: four completions, 67 yards and two TDs. The non-completion was Andre Caldwell's drop of a screen pass.

• Manti Te'o looked improved overall, although the rookie lined up in the wrong spot on the defense's third play. That contributed to Julius Thomas, Denver's fastest tight end, being uncovered for the short pass that ruptured into a 74-yard touchdown (two other defenders, Derek Cox and Eric Weddle, erred on the play as well).

• I'd never seen Weddle give up on a play as he did when Thomas ran down the sideline, with Cox between Weddle and Thomas. Weddle confirmed on Monday that he assumed Thomas was either out of bounds or soon to be out of bounds. Weddle termed his gaffe embarrassing. Given Cox's struggles this year, he's not first on the list of Chargers you'd assume to knock the tight end out of bounds.

• Cox didn't return for the series after Julius Thomas' TD. John Pagano seemed to make an emphatic point to Cox when he returned to the sideline following the TD. Benching Cox, however, meant more snaps for Richard Marshall. The Dolphins cut Marshall in August. He is smaller than Cox and not a speedster. His struggles may have led to Cox's return after missing 29 snaps.

• Lead cornerback Shareece Wright, checked on for a lower-leg injury, left the game for a series after defending DeMaryius Thomas on a short-pass incompletion. After Wright returned, Manning and Demaryius Thomas worked him over. Thomas caught four of the next five passes thrown toward him, totaling 80 yards and two TDs.